Worsening conditions of service cause of labour unrest – Labour Expert

Speaking to Lantam Papanko on Starr Today, Gideon Mensah said resorting to legal gymnastics would not be the best way to solve labour issues.

“The strikes that you witness from last year or the successful years are emanating from continued deterioration of conditions of service of public workers and the government’s inability to sit down and negotiate with these unions is creating this hostile atmosphere we are seeing.

“The Labour Act 6,5,1 have detailed procedures for engaging unions in a dispute when they do arrive. But of course, we recognized that in every human interaction there are disagreements. When they do arrive there are procedures to address them with conflict resolutions strategies that the Labour Act detailed,” he disclosed.

Workers with the Metrological Service Department joined other government sectors workers, Doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, University Teachers Association – Ghana, among others to demand better conditions of service.

UTAG has been compelled by the court to resume work whiles negotiations continue after the court has given NLC and UTAG opportunity to settle their impasse out of court which could not yield any result.

Mr. Mensah however, noted that until the National Labour Commission and Fair Wages and Salary Commission recognize that they have the mandate to resolve labour matters swiftly the nation would continue to see labour agitations.